Replace Dad? That would be hateful

Like father like son: Ravenscroft hopes to showcase new music on his show

Marisol Grandon

12:01AM BST 17 Aug 2006

As John Peel's son, Tom Ravenscroft, launches his own pop podcast, he tells Marisol Grandon why he won't be emulating his much-loved father

'I'd love to know what my dad would have thought if he'd known I was doing this," says Tom Ravenscroft, John Peel's 26-year-old son, with a laugh.

It's no wonder he's curious - as of next week, he will follow in Peel's footsteps and don studio headphones to present SlashMusic, a weekly 30-minute podcast on new music for Channel 4's fledgling enterprise 4Radio.

"I genuinely can't think of anything I'd like to do more," he says with a grin. With his faintly old-man navy V-neck cardie, battered Converse trainers, stillness of presence and unmistakeable Peel brow, it's impossible not to draw comparisons.

But, in choosing 4Radio rather than the BBC, Ravenscroft is clearly not trying to just piggyback on the Peel legacy and says he "wouldn't dare" to pick up where his father left off in a traditional radio setting.

"Radio 1 is my dad's place, his home," he says. "Even now I don't like going into the building. I don't even like walking down Great Portland Street.

"Because SlashMusic is a podcast means it's not just me instantly trying to replace him, which is the last thing in the world that I want people to think," he says, fixing me with a stare. "There's nothing more hateful, is there? And the idea's ridiculous anyway. Absolutely ridiculous."

A film-school graduate, Ravenscroft (Peel's real name) lives in London and has, until now, worked as a TV production assistant and music journalist seeking out new bands.

Radio occurred to him only after a long period of reflection, which included making a documentary on a box of his father's favourite records and, with his whole family, completing the unfinished autobiography Margrave of the Marshes.

"Finishing that book was like our counselling in a strange way. It helped us all out a huge amount. It was a good release and now everyone can move on."

His death also made Ravenscroft realise how important music was to him. "Once my dad died, I was kind of booted out of the music world," says Ravenscroft. "Our whole family life is built around music, from the ground up.

"We never went on family holidays. We'd just get in the car and drive to Glastonbury. I don't mean in an irritatingly hippy kind of way, but it's just what we've done. So this was a way for me to fill that gap - the perfect opportunity."

Peel never expected any of his children to take up the profession. "He certainly didn't give me any tips," says Ravenscroft. "The last time I was on national radio, I got told off for swearing.

"Dad was talking about Archie [his grandchild] and asked me what I thought. I replied, 'He's f***ing awesome.' He apologised for how badly he'd brought up his children."

Like his father, Ravenscroft wants to champion new music on his show, however obscure, to as large an audience as possible.

"I don't like elitist listening - underground music for underground people," he says. "Radio should be about getting people to listen to something they wouldn't ordinarily hear." To judge by the trial runs, he will deliver this in spades.

"There's no point broadcasting to two people and a dog," adds the show's passionate Glaswegian producer Hermeet Chadha, who worked with John Peel at Radio 1.

"Why preach to the converted? There's nothing wrong with genre-specific shows, but you're not educating people. We'll try to give a different perspective."

You'll be forgiven for never having heard any of the artists. "We will play the six best records we can find in one week," says Ravenscroft.

Everything and anything will be covered, from live sessions by Boston art-rockers Pants Yell, minute-long grindcore gems from Cutting Pink With Knives to beautiful folk and obscure Glasgow electropop from the likes of Lindsay West or absurdly named Gay Against You.

Whereas hundreds of records used to arrive daily at Peel Acres, Ravenscroft's day is digital. He and Chadha will be valiantly sifting through Channel 4's attempt at a MySpace-style website (www.channel4.com/music) for artists to feature on the programme.

"From the very first meeting, Channel 4 said, 'You can play anything you want. But it must belong to the site.' "

It sounds limiting, but the site currently holds 10,000 tracks, uploaded by largely unsigned musicians, which are free to download. It will be interesting to see if the Peel connection boosts this figure.

In a novel twist, radio will have to chase the artists. "We're having to say to people, 'Look, we're doing this thing. We really like your music. We'd really like to play it on the show.' It's more of a reciprocal relationship," says Chadha.

Ravenscroft's soft, even voice is unerringly familiar as he makes quickfire, unpretentious, often self-deprecating observations. "Obviously, I'm still not amazing and I'm certainly no Zane Lowe.

"I suffer from an incredibly monotonous voice," he says. All are qualities likely to delight an instant cult fanbase. "I certainly won't be talking over the top of records, I promise you that", he says, leaning in. "It's insulting, to be perfectly honest."

Does he worry about the expectations of plunging headlong into the fame game? "I don't think Home Truths listeners will come screaming after me. Dad's audiences were reflective of the kind of person he was. As a result, it's never been a problem. I don't feel pressured by it."

One thing's for certain - musicians, broadcasters and listeners will welcome him with open arms. His good looks and dry charisma won't have escaped the station's media execs, who, no doubt, have longer-term plans. One can only hope he rides this wave of tremendous goodwill and stays as grounded as he is now.

'SlashMusic' is available to download every Thursday from Aug 24 on the 4Radio website, www.channel4radio.com.